Economy & Market

Customer is the initial point of our innovation

Published

8 years ago

January 5, 2019

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Over the last 18 years, Nuvoco Vistas Corp has emerged as one of the major players in India through various greenfield and brownfield projects. The company’s plants in Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and West Bengal account for an installed cement capacity of 10.92 mtpa. The company also has a pan-India presence in the ready-mix concrete business, with close to 70 plants across the country. Its aggregates business is based in north India with a capacity of 170 tonne per hour. What’s more, to undertake R&D activities to develop innovative solutions specific to unique requirements, the company established its Construction Development and Innovation Centre (CDIC) in Mumbai in early 2012. The centre endeavours to bring solutions closer to the market, accelerate the process and build up locally through systems development.

While Pranav Desai, VP – Research & Head CDIC, Nuvoco Vistas Corp, along with his team, recently took the ICR team on a detailed tour at CDIC, spread across 17,000 sq ft, to explain its working and activities, Madhumita Basu, Chief of Marketing, Innovation, Strategy and IT, Nuvoco Vistas Corp, shared insights about the company and its future plans in conversation with BS Srinivasalu Reddy of ICR.

CDIC clearly speaks of the company’s focus on R&D. Tell us about the company’s investment in this area.

We are not really chasing a particular percentage of the turnover. It is not about being among the top five research companies and investing a certain part of the business into this. Our focus is on building a robust agenda for the centre.

Concrete is a finished product, and being in the construction space, the genesis of CDIC has largely been the concrete space. So, the centre does not only look at just the material side of it, but the placement and finishing, and ensuring it is an end-to-end solution. Our spends are currently around 0.5 per cent and will be further driven as customers show keenness to work with innovative ideas and materials. The customer or his need is the initial point for our innovation. The centre has brought unique solutions like Duraguard Microfiber cement, light weight concrete, concrete of various strengths, including for metro projects, light emitting road pavers, etc. CDIC has also recently received NABL accreditation.

While the company supplies to projects pan-India, it has only one CDIC centre based in Mumbai. Does this pose a challenge?
The nuances are different in every place in India. Infrastructure projects are crucial today; yet 65 per cent of cement goes into Individual Home Builder (IHB) operations. Certainly, in our blueprint, in the next two years, we are looking at a satellite to this centre out of our concrete plants. Having received clearance for two, we are trying to push for another centre as well. So we are working around two centres between Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata this year. We need to operate closer to the customer and this will help in quick sampling, leading to a better interface with the manufacturing team. Also, at times, there has been a fair bit of delay between the concept of an idea and speed to market. The satellites would help address this issue.

Which building or infrastructure segment contributes maximum to your business?
A large bit of it is our cement footprint where again our focus is on the individual home builder. So that is a space which afforded an early opportunity to go with differentiated products. First with Concerto -a premium cement product. It is definitely the strongest cement, but the factors we work on in our cement design include the kind of workability and finish it can give. How will the mason working with the product be able to handle it because they have a tendency to make a batch and you do not always have a very scientific process there. The third feature of this product is finished whiteness. This is after understanding that consumers many times when they build their homes do not like to paint and finish together, they wait and see one monsoon if construction is okay, then I will conduct repairs and then I will go for painting and finishing. But if I give him cement which gives him a glow and good even finish along with good workability, so it helps. So this engagement with the consumer is the same principle today we are taking to World One or the hanging swimming pool as well. Like what was your need and then I have this basket, how can I fit it in.

What was your contribution to World One project?
The world’s tallest residential building, World One is 442 meters (m) tall, with a floor area of 1,50,000 square meters (sq m), 117 floors, and over 300 apartments. The construction of such a staggering structure was incredibly challenging, owing to potentially extreme wind resistance and wear and tear of its massive sub structure and slender super structures. Nuvoco conducted extensive research and testing of locally available raw materials and design mixed methodology, to create a unique high performance concrete (HPC) with a grade of C95-M125 and an MOE (Modulus of Elasticity) of 48-52 Gpa. Not only did it offer minimal shrinkage, creep, vertical pumping above 400 m, and high compressive strength above 100 MPa, but also provided the structure with increased tensile strength and better durability, including resistance to wear and tear, making the project a success.

Is bagged concrete a unique product where you have advantage or others have started bagging as well?
They have started now. But bagged concrete the entire design concept in fact it is probably a case example of the customer discovery process. The discovery deep dive was done in the Dharavi area and the conceptualisation was done to service markets where easy accessibility for not just a concrete mixer but to do site mixing without affecting the lives of neighbours. So, bagged concrete actually has figured as a solution there. But once you get into a solution you do not limit it. In Elephanta Caves, they wanted to do some construction. Obviously they zeroed in on our bagged concrete. So that is how acceptability and other utilities of the product emerge. But we started this entire process and we have the largest range in bags in terms of concrete, micro concrete and we are just launching mortar into the market.

Geographically, where does your strength lie in terms of sales?
Our concrete business is strong in the south and west. In the north and east, we are strong cement players. We service Madhya Pradesh and a part of Uttar Pradesh between our north and west plants. So we have a strong presence between the two businesses. There is definitely a leveraging base in the east and north for the concrete business. We are looking at some more home builder-specific solutions, for which we have started an engagement with our cement channel partners, particularly because we have the concrete range in bags. We have already kick-started this process in the east.

How many channel partners do you have?
Including the dealers and retailers we have in our northern, central and eastern footprint, there are about 18,000 to 19,000 channel partners. We continuously run engagements with them, such as loyalty-driven programmes and several other activities.

How do you see 2019 panning out for your company in terms of growth?
Cement and concrete mirror the same consistent growth rate, which has been consistent on a year-on-year basis at 6-7 per cent. At the micro-market level, there have been localised issues like that related to the sand mining ban in States such as Jharkhand, Bihar and Bengal; but some of these are correctional issues also that would be faced by any growing economy. In fact, I would see a little disruption in the first one or two quarters for two reasons one is the election process and then 45 days before cooling period will kick in. And by the time the budgets are out we will hit monsoons and the low construction activity. Markets in H2 will re-bound with encouraging growth figures expected at 9 to 11 per cent.

Economy & Market

Leonard Unveils Dual-Head Robotic Arm for Hazardous Industrial Demolition

Published

6 days ago

October 30, 2026

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Leonard unveils Descender Duo, a dual-head robotic demolition arm designed to improve industrial safety and reduce shutdown time by up to 50 per cent.

Industrial robotics and refractory services specialist Leonard has launched Descender Duo, a dual-head robotic demolition arm designed to improve safety, accelerate maintenance and reduce shutdown times in hazardous industrial environments. The system made its debut at Lisahally Power Station in Northern Ireland, removing 25 tonnes of slag material within hours.

Developed for the cement, metals, waste-to-energy and petrochemical industries, Descender Duo enables remote-controlled refractory demolition, anchor cutting and welding, and refractory spraying inside boilers, calciners and silos. Its vertical-access design eliminates the need for personnel to enter confined, high-risk spaces during these operations.

Weighing less than two tonnes, the pre-assembled system requires an access opening of just 1.2 m². Supported by an external overhead hoist, it uses electrically operated hydraulic stabilising legs to secure itself inside vessels. The robotic arm offers 360-degree rotation and is suited to vessels approximately 9 m in diameter, with its operating reach extendable through strategically positioned access points.

Equipped with two independently controlled robotic heads, Descender Duo can perform identical or different tasks simultaneously, including refractory demolition, anchor cutting and spraying. Its remote-control system incorporates live camera feeds, allowing operators to monitor operations without entering hazardous environments.

According to Leonard, the technology can deliver time savings of up to 50 per cent compared with manual methods. Its ability to operate at temperatures exceeding 100°C allows maintenance to begin as early as 24 hours after burner shutdown. An all-electric power supply further supports cleaner and more cost-efficient operations.

First Deployment Demonstrates Shutdown Efficiency

The system was first deployed at Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor’s (BWSC) Lisahally Power Station in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The facility generates electricity from grade C waste wood, supplying approximately 40,000 homes and businesses.

Leonard and BWSC collaborated to develop a customised solution for the plant’s 26-metre furnace, where extensive external pipework created significant access challenges.

Mark Leonard, Managing Director, Leonard, said, “It required new thinking and rather than step away from the problem we were committed to solving it for the customer, with the customer. We’re relentless in our approach to tackling complex challenges, head-on. We took our years of cement plant experience, coupled with our working knowledge of the BWSC plant, and designed, engineered and tested a completely new vertical solution within just seven weeks from that initial conversation with the customer. That solution was the Descender Duo as we know it today.”

Traditionally, the furnace required a cooling period of up to 36 hours before preparatory work could begin, followed by manual slag removal using rope-access personnel. With Descender Duo, work commenced just 24 hours after shutdown, reducing downtime by up to one day.

The deployment removed 25 tonnes of slag within hours, eliminated the need for at least six workers to enter the hazardous furnace interior and saved 26 hours in the shutdown programme.

“The effectiveness exceeded expectation,” said Martin Doran, Plant Manager at Lisahally Power Station.

“When the Descender Duo concept was first discussed, we had to spend some time with the team from Leonard looking at how it was going to be moved into the furnace. Every site is different and that presented its own challenges, but nothing that the team couldn’t overcome. Once it was installed we were hugely impressed by its efficiency.”

Expanding Industrial Robotics Applications

Descender Duo joins Leonard’s existing portfolio of robotic maintenance solutions, including the Axis horizontal-access arm, Nano confined-space access arm, Charger cement mill media recharging system and Calibre cement mill media grading system.

Headquartered in Northern Ireland, Leonard provides robotic refractory demolition, installation, inspection and industrial maintenance services across the cement, metals, energy, biomass, glass and civil engineering sectors.

Formerly known as G Leonard, the company has more than 35 years of industry experience and operates across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

The latest innovation reinforces Leonard’s focus on replacing hazardous manual processes with robotic systems that improve workforce safety, enhance operational efficiency and minimise industrial downtime.

Concrete

Martin Engineering Appoints Ashwini Khunte as India General Manager

Published

6 days ago

October 30, 2026

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Martin Engineering names Ashwini Khunte India General Manager to strengthen operations and drive growth across key bulk material handling sectors.

Pune

Martin Engineering, a global provider of bulk material handling solutions, has appointed Ashwini Khunte as General Manager of its India business, strengthening its leadership as the company expands its presence across the country’s cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure sectors.

Khunte brings more than a decade of experience with Martin Engineering, having joined its Indian operations in 2013 as a Design Engineer, shortly after the company established its presence in the country in 2012.

A mechanical engineer by qualification, she spent her initial five years developing bulk material handling solutions in collaboration with the company’s operations team. During this period, she gained extensive experience addressing operational challenges in the steel, cement and coal industries. She subsequently moved into project engineering, managing major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) projects from initial enquiry to commissioning. Her responsibilities later expanded to overseeing Martin Engineering’s conveyor product portfolio in India, involving customer engagement, technical presentations and site visits across heavy industries.

In 2024, Khunte was promoted to Head of Sales & Marketing for the company’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI) region. The position broadened her international market exposure and strengthened her strategic and commercial leadership capabilities.

Commenting on her appointment, Ashwini Khunte, General Manager, Martin Engineering India, said: “India represents a tremendous opportunity for Martin Engineering. The country’s continued investment in cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure is creating increasing demand for safer, cleaner and more productive bulk material handling, and that’s exactly what we do. My priority will be to build on the strong foundations already established in India, while continuing to develop our people, strengthen customer relationships and bring practical solutions to the challenges faced by our industry.”

Robert Whetstone, Area Vice President – EMEAI, Martin Engineering, highlighted Khunte’s technical expertise, market understanding and leadership experience.

“Ashwini brings an exceptional combination of technical understanding, customer knowledge and commercial leadership. She has grown as Martin Engineering has grown, and has consistently demonstrated outstanding capability to transform her expertise into practical solutions. Her knowledge of the Indian market, together with her international experience, makes her ideally suited to lead our India business through its next stage of growth for years to come.”

Since establishing its Indian business in 2012, Martin Engineering has expanded its local workforce, manufacturing capabilities and dealership network. The company supplies conveyor products, transfer point solutions, material flow aids, training and technical support to bulk material handling industries. Khunte’s appointment positions the company to further strengthen customer relationships and expand its solutions portfolio in India’s growing industrial and infrastructure markets.

Concrete

Fornnax Wins AIRIA’s Special Export Award for Rubber Machinery in 2025-26

Published

2 weeks ago

October 19, 2026

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Fornnax Technology Pvt. Ltd. has been honoured with the Special Export Award – Rubber Machinery for 2025–26 by the All-India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), in recognition of its highest exports of tyre recycling plants to the European region.

With more than a decade of experience in India’s tyre recycling industry, Fornnax has contributed to the development of advanced recycling technologies and infrastructure. The company currently holds a 90% market share in India’s domestic tyre recycling sector, while exports account for 30% of its business, spanning markets such as Europe, Australia and the GCC.

The award marks another milestone for Fornnax, whose tyre recycling lines and advanced shredding technologies are supporting the growth of the circular economy in India and international markets.

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Jignesh Kundaria, Founder and Director of Fornnax, said:

“This honour from AIRIA is a reflection of an incredible journey we have undertaken over the years. When we started Fornnax, there was no established recycling industry in India to follow. We chose to build for the future instead. Today, when you see India’s tyre recycling sector, it has already transformed into a dynamic, high-growth industry and we are extremely proud to have played our part in building it.”

Unlike standalone equipment suppliers, Fornnax focuses on developing complete, high-capacity recycling infrastructure. Its integrated systems combine multiple stages of shredding and size reduction to enable efficient, continuous operations. This system-level engineering approach helps recycling operators improve throughput, equipment reliability and operational consistency.

The recognition reinforces Fornnax’s commitment to developing engineering technologies that contribute to a more efficient and circular recycling ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the company aims to expand its international presence while continuing to develop advanced shredding and recycling solutions to address the growing volumes and evolving requirements of the global recycling industry.

For more information, visit: www.fornnax.com